Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on Apr 21, 2015 14:16:39 GMT
Hello Susannah Bluetits are a lot smaller than sparrows - when they fledge the nest they are not much larger than a big bumblebee. Here is an info page about them www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/bluetit.htm. The least I have seen in a nest is 6 and the most was 11
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Post by Hezz on Apr 22, 2015 0:25:23 GMT
11!! Poor parents!!
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Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on Apr 22, 2015 9:40:18 GMT
There are 6 today - picture not all that clear, but the corner of the 6th one can partially hopefully be seen at the top right of the other ones.
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Post by Hezz on Apr 23, 2015 0:18:54 GMT
Lovely, Fran. Mrs Bluetit is certainly making work for herself. I can only feel that she must lay so many eggs because there is a fairly high attrition rate, either as eggs or as young.
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Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on Apr 23, 2015 15:30:51 GMT
We have 7 today all artistically placed She has sat on her eggs for a couple of hours or more today and every now and again she upends herself and goes head down in the nestcup the turn over the eggs so they all get to the same temperature. I was wondering if she was maybe finished laying now that she has started the signs of the incubation stage. It is so sweet because when she is sitting on them, Mr Bluetit comes into the nestbox with a little titbit of food for her and when he passes it over it looks as if he is giving her a kiss Anything I have read about the size of brood they have seems to say dependant upon the amount and type of food which will be available when they are hatched and they do their laying accordingly.
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Post by Hezz on Apr 24, 2015 0:22:50 GMT
Ah, ha ........ that makes sense - big brood when there is plenty of food to be had, less when not as plentiful.
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Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on Apr 24, 2015 9:03:12 GMT
Our girl spent a lot of yesterday sitting on her eggs, just going out occasionally. I managed to get a picture of her eggs a few moments ago and there are 8 now
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Post by Hezz on Apr 24, 2015 9:40:08 GMT
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Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on Apr 24, 2015 10:53:18 GMT
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Post by Hezz on Apr 24, 2015 11:31:18 GMT
Wow!! That is about all I can say ....... after a very, very quick look. I am sure knowing these gorgeous little birds personally would make me just as ...... ummmmm ...... possessive of their health and happiness.
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Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on Apr 26, 2015 7:04:06 GMT
Morning all Didn't post yesterday as couldn't get a clear picture at all but we thought we could discern that there were 9 eggs. Got a good picture this morning though - there are 9 eggs, so looks as if she is finished laying and spends a lot of time sitting and incubating.
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Post by suesbird on Apr 26, 2015 8:16:55 GMT
Wow that's a lot of eggs
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Oct 7, 2011 11:18:50 GMT
lupin
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Posts: 333
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Post by lupin on May 7, 2015 12:18:55 GMT
Our babies started hatching at quarter past 10 this morning. As at the moment I think 5 still to go. rs634.pbsrc.com/albums/uu61/floxfizz/Mobile%20Uploads/794551.jpg~320x480 OH THAT IS A RUBBISH LINK TO PHOTOBUCKET DON'T KNOW WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING THERE, BUT IT IS NOT BEHAVING LIKE IT USUALLY DOES, SORRY:( Mrs Bluetit spent the earlier part of the morning doing a lot of sudden standing up, looking down quizzically at her nestcup and sitting down again. I reckon she felt her babies tapping inside their shells and was wondering what on earth was happening. I believe she is a first time Mum. When the first one hatched out, she stood and watched it for a few second when Dad came into the box stood and looked at his first offspring and tried to hand over a very small grub to Mum to feed it to the babe - Mum didn't want to accept it and kept turning her head away until Dad decided to feed the babe himself. Usually with very new hatchlings Mum takes the food from Dad and insists on doing the feeding herself and won't let Dad do it but as time goes by they both do the hunting and feeding. Mum then ate the eggshell (to replace her calcium). The next hatchling Mum still didn't want to accept Dad's grub to feed the babe with, but this time Dad insisted and she took the food in her beak and seemed to get the message and she eventually fed the second babe. The next new arrival she was a good girl and accepted the food Dad brought in almost straight away and fed the little one. She will likely eat all the eggshells. The next one she barely hesitated in accepting Dad's offering for the babe and fed it without hesitation, so it should all go well from now on. I always get so wrapped up in watching the nesting, so you will not get much sense from me in days to come
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Post by suesbird on May 7, 2015 12:25:18 GMT
Absolutely fantastic, how exciting and lovely how he taught her to feed the babies. Nature is wonderful
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